Closure for collapsible tubes



'Dec. 5, 1944.

v J. w. MOSSETT CLOSURE FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed May 25, 1943 INVENTOR. mw'Mcssett Patented Dec. 5, 1944 UNITED STATES; PATENT ()FFICE' CLOSURE- FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES- James W. Mossett, New York, N. Y.

Application May 25,1943, Serial No. 488,362-

3 Claims. (01. $22-$20) This. inventio relates to new anduseful improvements in a closure for collapsible tubes.

More particularly, the invention: proposes a clot. sure which is characterized by the fact thatit includes a screw cap and a construction and ar rangement. which makes it unnecessary to completely remove the screw capfor opening. the tube so that its contents. may be squeezed out.

This invention is a great improvement over the commercial collapsible. tubes which have small threaded necks closed: by removable. caps which must be fully removed before the: contents:

may be squeezed out through the neck;

people are too impatient to: rescrew' the removable caps and often throw them. away, leaving the tube open which is highly objectionable.

It is an object of this invention toform: the threaded cap with an opening and to provide. a valve construction which. closes the opening when the cap is tightly screwed down and which allows the contents of the tube to be squeezed through the opening when the cap is slightly unscrewed". With this arrangement it is unnecessaryto completely remove the cap- It is therefore: a. simple matter to give the cap a slight turn to tightly rescrew' it when it i desired to close the tube.

Still further the invention proposes a modified form in which the valve is resiliently urged closed so that the cap may be screwed all the way down to have its bottom edge properly engage the shoulder of the tube.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly se forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible tube with a closure constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the tube shown in Fig. l with the cap broken to disclose interior parts.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged detailed view of the top portion of Fig 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary nlarged horizontal sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrated with the cap partly unscrewed.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of the top end Of a collapsible tube and the closure cap constructed in accordance with amod-ified form of the invention. q

The closure for collapsible tubes, in. accordance with this invention, is intended to be used on a collapsible: tube I0 of any design and construction having a discharge neck 11- which is termedv with external threads 1-2. A- spider support M is mounted. acros thev neck H. An axial stem M projects upwards from the spider support t3. A valve head [-5- is on the top end of the stem it.

A capl-fi is threadedly engaged on the threads I 2 of the neck. It and. is formed with-an axial discharge opening t7 normally closed by said valve head. I 5 when the. cap is screwed down com-.- lpletel-y. The parts; are soarranged that it the cap is partly unscrewed, asillustrated in Fig. 5', the opening l of the capwill be tree of the valve head [5. so that. the contentsof. the tube It may be squeezed out. A washer i8 is mountedaround the edge of the opening Ill andis cooperative with the valve [5 for insuring a proper closure when the cap is fully screwed down. This washer is ismade from soft and resilient material. The-topend of the cap" i6 is formed. with a recess t9 into which a portion. of the washer i8 is forced. Themounting of the washer inthe recessl-9 serves to support the washer permanently in position.

The operation of the device is as follows:

When the tube 10 is squeezed some of its contents will be forced up between the arms of the spider support 13 and will fill up the inside of the cap I6. If the cap is partly unscrewed as shown in Fig. 5, the contents of the tube may be squeezed out through the openings l7. To close the tube it is merely necessary to turn the cap l6 back to its initial position shown inFig. 2 in which the opening I! is closed by the valve [5.

In Fig. 6 a modified form of the invention has been disclosed which distinguishes from the prior form in the construction of the axial stem M. This stem is formed from a pair of telescopically engaging sections 20 and 2!. The inner section 20 has a head 22 which is engageable with an inturned top end 23 on the section 2i for limiting extension of the sections relative to each other. An expansion spring 24 is housed within the section 2| and acts between the sections for normally urging the section 20 upwards.

In other respects this form of the invention is identical to the previous form and like parts are identified by like reference numerals.

The operation of this form of the invention is as follows:

The spring 24 will resiliently urge the stem section 20 upwards so as to tightly force the valve head [5 in the opening ll of the cap IS. The tube may be opened by unscrewing the cap l6 slightly so that the opening I! is free of the head I5. It is necessary to unscrew the cap IS a distancesufiicient for the head 22 to engage the flange 23 and then some more to free the opening H. When the cap I6 is screwed tight, the washer l8 will engagethe valve head l5 pressing it downwards and partly collapsing the telescopic stem I 4 until the bottom of the cap I6 strikes the shoulder of the neck I I of the tube.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A collapsible tube having an externally threaded discharge neck closed by a threaded cap formed with an axial discharge opening adapted to be closed by a valve head mounted on the top end of a stem projecting from a spider supported across the top of said discharge neck, said stem being formed of telescopically engaged sections, comprising a tubular fixed section attached to said spider and a movable section extending from said fixed section and having said valve head mounted on the top end thereof, resilient means within said fixed section urging said movable section outwards to seat said valve head against the material of said cap surrounding said discharge openingto close it when said cap is screwed down, and means limiting outward movement of said movable section when said cap is unscrewed so that said cap may be moved free of said valve head, opening the passage through said discharge across the top of said discharge neck, said stem being formed of telescopically engaged sections, comprising a tubular fixed section attached to said spider and a movable section extending from said fixed section and having said valve head mounted on the top end thereof, resilient means within said fixed section urging said movable section outwards to seat said valve head against the material of said cap surrounding said discharge opening to close it when said cap is screwed down, and means limiting outward movement of said movable section when said cap is unscrewed so that said cap may be moved free of said valve head, opening the passage through said discharge opening, said first means, comprising an expansion spring within said tubular fixed section and operating between the base wall of said fixed section and the inner end of said movable section.

3. A collapsible tube having an externally threaded discharge neck closed by a threaded cap formed with an axial discharge opening adapted to be closed by a valve head mounted on the top end of a stem projecting from a spider supported across the top of said discharge neck, said stem being formed of telescopically engaged sections, comprising a tubular fixed section attached to said spider and a movable section extending from said fixed section and having said valve head mounted on the top end thereof, resilient means within said fixed section urging said movable section outwards to seat said valve head against the material of said cap surrounding said discharge opening to close it when said cap is screwed down, and means limiting outward movement of said movable section when said cap is unscrewed so that said cap may be moved free of said valve head opening, the passage through said discharge opening, said latter means, comprising an enlarged head formed on the end of said movable section within said tubular fixed section, and a shoulder formed on the end of said fixed section to be engaged by said head to limit outward movement of said movable section.

JAMES W. MOSSETT. 

